In Remembrance
by Elipsa
Summary: Letting his only child leave the safety that he has given her, is harder than Neville expects. She's eleven, she has to grow and he has to let her. He has to give her that freedom like he does all his plants. Still, he has an heirloom that could help.


Hands cupped the large, marble sized object. It was round, clear except for a single, golden band around the middle. Etchings had been painstakingly drawn into the thin protective layer. Smoke wafted around inside, lazily brushing against the glass before floating contently to the bottom of the sphere.

A single finger - calloused and thick - ran around the golden band, grooves worn from years of use nicked his skin and drew a single red drop of blood. For a moment, the thought of smoothing out the surface entered his mind, but the thought floated away much as the smoke did.

"Daddy?" A soft voice called out, whispering just loud enough to be heard above the birds from up high.

"Bean Sprout." Neville stood, keeping the Remembrall clasped protectively in his left hand as he used his right to push up from the earth and the plants surrounding him. He looked towards the voice, and smiled at his daughter.

Blue Beauxbatons robes of the softest silk framed her delicate build, blue and white dress shoes adorned her feet and a vest peeked through her buttoned robes. Her blonde hair was pulled ruthlessly into a plait that curled over one shoulder. Her smile - crooked, like her mother's - warmed Neville and he spread out his arms in an open invitation.

Never had he doubted his love for his daughter, but he knew he would never take for granted the love his daughter bestowed upon him. Her smile broadened to a grin, her tiny hands balled up her robes to hitch them up so she could fly into his arms, laughing when he picked her up and twirled her around.

His little Bean Sprout, eleven and going to school. He held her and she was safe as long as he had a hold of her. She didn't argue, she didn't fight. She simply sighed happily and buried her face in his neck.

Eleven years. It had been eleven years from when he first saw her at St. Mungos, born almost a month too early and amidst chaos. He had almost lost both of them, his Hannah and his Bean Sprout. He set her down, kneeling in front of her and running a hand over her cheek. A streak of dirt smudged her pink toned skin and the freckles that lay sprinkled under her eyes.

She stood on her tiptoes - still so small for her age - to press a butterfly kiss to his nose, giggling before she backed up a few steps. She rocked on her heels, mouth parting to say something, but her eyes quickly fell onto the Remembrall in his hands.

"What did you forget, Daddy?"

The angry, red clouds swirled around, furious that the man had - once again - forgotten something that he shouldn't have. He looked at it, bemused.

"Do you know the purpose of the Remembrall?"

She blinked, bright hazel eyes locked on his ear as she fidgeted when she repeated her mother's words, "To mock us when it should tell us what we forgot?" She glanced at Neville's eyes for a split second before ducking her head, scuffing her shoe.

"None of that, now." His placed the antique down and gently placed his hands on her hips. "Bean Sprout, don't do those to your new shoes."

She huffed and, out of habit, attempted to blow her bangs out of her face, but came away looking adorably silly.

"Neville Longbottom! What are you doing getting our daughter's clothing rumpled and dirty and creased?" Hannah, long blonde hair pulled into pigtails and loose strands flying about her slightly pudgy and lined face, jogged over to them. Her hands flitted about in front of her before they latched onto her daughter's clothing to righten them. "We need to get going and you've been playing with your plants!" Her words, though seemingly harsh, hid a layer of exasperated fondness that Neville caught with a grin.

"Yes, sorry love." He drew his wand and waved it about himself. His clothes halfheartedly fixed themselves and removed a few flecks of dirt. Glancing up at his two girls, he shrugged and grabbed the Remembrall. "Good enough. Shall we?"

Hannah rolled her eyes and finished fixing the girl's robes. "Deliah, you're all packed and ready to go?"

"Yes, Mama."

"Good girl. I'll get the Portkey that will take us to France so you can get on the carriage." Hannah crouched so the three were all on the same level. "Are you sure this is the school you want to go to?"

Deliah bit her lip, eyes downcast as she murmured, "Yes, Mama."

Dark brown eyes became hidden by Hannah's eyelids, though only for a moment before his wife nodded, stood and smoothed down her healer's robes. "Alright. Anytime you want to come to Hogwarts, both of us will not hesitate to make it so." She stroked a finger down her daughter's hair. "I'll be back with your things and the portkey."

Neville watched her go, biting back the impulse to tell his daughter she had to go to Hogwarts with him and Hannah, that she didn't have to go so far away to get away from them. His heart ached at just the thought of her being gone that he just stared at Hannah's retreating form.

"Daddy, what _is_ the purpose of the Remembrall?"

Stowing his wand away, he glanced down at the tiny artifact and smiled. "Your mother says it should tell us what we forgot, doesn't she?" When Deliah nodded, Neville reached out with his free hand and gently cupped her left wrist, bringing it towards him before placing the Remembrall into her palm. "Your Nana gave it to me in my first year at Hogwarts, like she did for my father. She simply told me that it was to help me remember. I didn't understand and I hated the thing because it didn't tell me what I forgot." He curled her hands over the ball. "Be careful of the golden band, it's no longer smooth.

"Well, it took me seven years to figure it out. What good would the ball do if it simply told us what we forgot?"

She glanced at the item, frowning, "So we remember?"

"It's a reminder." Neville gently pressed a finger to his daughter's forehead. "If you forget something, you have to remember for yourself. The Remembrall isn't simply there for convenience, it's teaching you to think and remember on your own."

"Daddy, that's silly." She wrinkled her nose and tried to pass the item back to him, but Neville shook his head.

"It's yours now. Learn the lesson."

"Neville! Deliah! We need to leave!" Hannah came back out of the house and walked towards them.

Neville brought his daughter into his arms again. She stood between his bent knees and wrapped in his strong arms. He buried his nose in her hair and tried to remind himself why he had to let her go. "Bean Sprout, learn from your mother's and my mistakes."

Deliah sighed, wrapping her arms around his neck, one tiny fist holding the small orb. She whispered something that Neville had once told Hannah when he thought Deliah was asleep, "We may be slow, but we're strong and we're loyal and we learn and we prove them wrong." She stood trembling in his arms, but firm in her resolve; a tiny child that lay burdened with his shyness and her mothers naivety, but she also had their heart and courage and strength.

And that had to be enough.

* * *

A/N So this is a bit different for me, but I liked the idea. Here's some random info I thought of while writing this:

The year: August 2021

Neville's age: 41

Deliah: 11, born 2010

I also imagine his Gran passed recently, which is why he's pondering the Remembrall. When I saw: item passed through 3 generations (doesn't have to be cannon) Neville and the Remembrall popped in my hand, no idea why.

Anyway, hope you enjoy!


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